Overview
- Pathirana cleared Sri Lanka Cricket’s mandatory fitness test and received an NOC on Sunday, opening the way for him to link up with Kolkata Knight Riders.
- Availability timelines differ across reports, with ESPNcricinfo saying he will arrive April 17 and be selectable from April 19, while others say he could join the squad in Chennai before Tuesday’s CSK game.
- KKR sit bottom of the table after three defeats and one washout, with late‑over bowling proving costly in losses to Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants.
- The pace unit has been stretched by season‑ending injuries to Harshit Rana and Akash Deep and the release of Mustafizur Rahman at the BCCI’s direction, exposing inexperienced replacements.
- Bought for ₹18 crore at the auction, Pathirana brings proven IPL death-overs skills from his CSK stint, where he took 47 wickets in 32 matches, and his return follows SLC’s stricter NOC policy that requires fitness clearance.